diff --git a/salt/utils/schedule.py b/salt/utils/schedule.py
index 5ed49f73da70..13c6dc06517f 100644
--- a/salt/utils/schedule.py
+++ b/salt/utils/schedule.py
@@ -867,7 +867,7 @@ def eval(self):
                 if isinstance(data['when'], list):
                     _when = []
                     for i in data['when']:
-                        if ('whens' in self.opts['pillar'] and
+                        if ('pillar' in self.opts and 'whens' in self.opts['pillar'] and
                                 i in self.opts['pillar']['whens']):
                             if not isinstance(self.opts['pillar']['whens'],
                                               dict):
@@ -936,7 +936,7 @@ def eval(self):
                         continue
 
                 else:
-                    if ('whens' in self.opts['pillar'] and
+                    if ('pillar' in self.opts and 'whens' in self.opts['pillar'] and
                             data['when'] in self.opts['pillar']['whens']):
                         if not isinstance(self.opts['pillar']['whens'], dict):
                             log.error('Pillar item "whens" must be dict.'